Sociology, BA

The Sociology department is guided by a vision of social justice. We provide methodological and theoretical frameworks to transcend individual experience in order to understand social life. We study the broader social structures that are shaped by diverse social identities, systems of stratification, and culture, all in a global context, in order to advance equitable and just social change.

General Information

The Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Sociology requires the following:

A minimum of 36 credit hours of SOC course work. At least 18 of those hours must be upper division (courses numbered 3000 or higher).
A grade of C or better in courses applied to the major.
A minimum 2.0 GPA must be maintained in all SOC course work.
No more than 60 credit hours of SOC course work may apply to the bachelor’s degree.
Completion of the Sociology Exit Exam and Exit Survey during the final semester of the senior year.

Additional course work is required to complete the Sociology, BA degree. Please see the advising guide on the Academic Advising website for more information.

Learning Outcomes

Be able to demonstrate critical thinking, write in a clear, logical manner, and clearly express sociological knowledge in verbal communication.
Be able to show broad knowledge about global and local societies, social behavior and provide credible explanations of how and why social development has taken a particular direction.
Be able to understand, analyze and assess social experience, both theoretically and practically.
Be able to collect, analyze and interpret sociological data effectively.
Be able to understand social phenomena of deviance, globalization, social change, multiculturalism, structural inequality, and the intersections of race, class, gender and other forms of stratification.
Be able to apply sociological knowledge in professional and community settings and be adequately prepared for graduate study.

Online Degree Completion or Online BA

Sociology offers the option of online bachelor’s degree completion and completing the entire bachelor’s degree online. If students have either completed 60 credit hours at UCCS, or transferred in with an Associate’s degree, they are eligible to complete their sociology BA completely online. All students have the option to complete the degree through a combination of online courses. All required Sociology courses are offered online at least once during the calendar year; most are offered every semester, including summer. A range of elective courses, substantive courses, and Summit-flagged courses are available online each semester, including summer. The honors option for the Summit Experience (SOC 4980/4990) is also available to online students.

Please visit the Sociology department webite for more information.

Double Majors

The Sociology major provides an ideal second major. While a Sociology major can be added to any other major, specific agreements exist with:

Sociology and Criminal Justice, Dual BA and

Sociology and Women’s and Ethnic Studies (WEST) Double Major and

Philosophy and Sociology Double Major and

Psychology and Sociology Double Major

Course Requirements

Core Courses (15 credit hours)

Complete all of the following courses.

Note: SOC 3150 and SOC 3170 should be completed prior to the senior year, and must be taken at UCCS.

Substantive Area Courses (9 credit hours)

Complete three courses from the following list:

Summit Experience (4 credit hours)

Complete either the Honors or Standard Track Summit Experience. The Summit Experience is designed for senior-level students who have successfully completed SOC 1110, 3150 and 3170.

Honors Track

Students completing the honors track will receive departmental honors upon successful completion and graduation. Complete both courses below.

Standard Track

Complete SOC 4785, the Summit/Capstone Special Topics course, and one of the capstone-flagged seminar courses below. A permission number is required to enroll for SOC 4785. See the instructor or Sociology Program Assistant for details.

Sociology Electives (8 credit hours)

Complete 8 additional hours of Sociology electives to fulfill total and upper-division hour requirements for the major.

Sociology Exit Exam and Exit Survey

Complete the Sociology Exit Exam and Exit Survey during the final semester of course work. Visit the Sociology department’s website for more information.